Mother of two raises hell in the South- and elsewhere, while trying to jumpstart a writing career

Friday, October 30, 2009

It's not funny HA-HA, but it's funny in a weird way.

Let me introduce myself. I am a freak. I'm a writer. No matter what job I've held- and there were many many many in a very short span of time, I always wrote. I always made little worlds and grand plans and I always hurt more, loved harder, lived larger than 95% of the people I met. When I am with other writers or creative types, I can breathe. I can let down a guard that society foisted on me. In a nutshell ( apt), I get lost in my head daily, and when creating characters, I easily slip into the heads of others. I may do things- for the sake of the research... and later understand how it grew me. I love myself, my family, my friends passionately. There is nothing- and I mean NOTHING I would not do for any of them- if they only asked. I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. If I were you, I'd go with the first one.getting through rough times in my life I need distractions, be it a house remod, a decorating challenge, the learning of a language, the planning of a trip, or the throwing of a party. It's what I do.

so what does that have to do with the HMS Bounty, you might be wondering? Or even the funny part? All right, I'm getting to it.

We're throwing the 6th annual Murder Mystery Party in a week or so, and this year, it's bigger and better, briging together a new mixed group, asking them to all bring it to the table- all smarmy and sleezy pirates and buccaneers, as fancy- high crowed Governors and family, as serving wenches and booty chasing Inn patrons. Murder Among the Matey's at the Salty Sea Dog.In other words, Just another night at The Sands.

Of course, I'm going balls to the wall with props and decor and cast and crew and food and booze and music and getting a bunch of help from my frineds... but as I look around in the "real" world... ugh. I see this: REAL FREAKING PIRATES.

UK couple asleep as Somali pirates hijacked yacht

AP – In this undated photo made available by the family, Paul and Rachel Chandler, who went missing when sailing …

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A British man kidnapped by Somali pirates while vacationing on a yacht with his wife said in an interview released Thursday that the sea bandits had crept aboard with guns while he was asleep and demanded money.

Paul Chandler told Britain's ITV News that he and his wife were being held aboard a container ship anchored about a mile from the Somali coast. A fisherman told The Associated Press he saw two boats carrying eight pirates and a white couple that had arrived in the village of Ceel Huur.

"They kept asking for money and took everything of value on the boat," Chandler said in the interview, but the satellite phone connection was lost before he could answer how the couple were being treated.

Dahir Dabadhahan said a convoy of around 30 other pirates in six luxury vehicles met the group in front of fishermen preparing their boats of the day, he said.

"The pirates opened fire into the air, waving us to move away," he said.Ceel Huur is just north of a notorious pirate stronghold in the town of Haradhere.

Earlier Thursday, the British navy had found the couple's empty yacht in international waters. Warships have been searching for Paul and Rachel Chandler since their yacht, the Lynn Rival, sent out a distress signal last Friday.

Relatives of the British couple pleaded for their release and said the pirates had targeted the wrong people."They are not a wealthy couple. They just wanted to take early retirement, to take a boat and to see more of the world," said Paul Chandler's sister, Jill Marshment, 69, of Bredon.

The couple, who have been married for 28 years, took early retirement about three years ago and have spent several six-month spells at sea. Their voyages — which have taken them to the Greek islands, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Oman, Yemen, India, the Maldives and the Seychelles — have been chronicled on a blog.

According to a blog entry on Oct. 21, the couple planned to set sail the next day and be at sea for eight to 12 days, heading south toward Tanzania."We probably won't have satellite phone coverage until we're fairly close to the African coast, so we may be out of touch for some time," they wrote.

Somalia has not had a functioning government for 18 years. The multimillion dollar ransoms the pirates collect are a strong lure for young gunmen in a country where nearly half the population is dependent on aid.

The high-seas hijackings have persisted despite an international armada of warships deployed by the United States, the European Union, NATO, Japan, South Korea and China to patrol the region.

Also Thursday, pirates hijacked a Thai fishing vessel north of the Seychelles islands, the European Union Naval Force said.The Thai Union 3 reported it was under attack by pirates in two skiffs 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of the Seychelles and 650 miles (1050 kilometers) off the Somali coast, according to a press release issued by the headquarters for the EU's Operation Atalanta.

A naval aircraft sent to the scene saw pirates aboard the vessel and two skiffs tied up behind it. The EU force said the ship is now heading toward Somalia.The latest seizure means pirates are now holding a total of eight ships, four of which were seized in the past two weeks.

___Lawless reported from London. Associated Press writers Katharine Houreld in Nairobi, Kenya and Jennifer Quinn in London also contributed to this report.

***WOW.Of course this happens a week after I read that the real HMS Bounty was robbed from its berth in a storage facility in Scotland in September. ( original reports said the entire ship had been seized, and I spent the morning imagining the sailing of this grand vessel with a bunch of collegiate pranksters chugging bud lite funnels at the helm and tossing water at white t-shirted buxom hussies. Pirates Gone Wild!!)

HMS Bounty is a replica of the original ship famous for its 1789 mutiny

A tall ship used in the Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy has been raided while docked in Scotland.

Thieves targeted HMS Bounty while she was berthed at Custom House Quay in Greenock, Inverclyde, at about 0410 BST on Saturday.A sum of cash between £50 and £100 was taken, along with several items of clothing with the Bounty's insignia.A survival suit, book, life ring and an American flag were also stolen. These were later recovered nearby.Police have appealed for anyone with information about the theft to come forward.HMS Bounty is a replica of the original Bounty, famous for its ill-fated trip to Tahiti and the West Indies in 1789.

A mutiny took place during the expedition, which saw Captain William Bligh and 18 crewmen set adrift.The replica was built in 1962 for the film Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Marlon Brando.It has since been used as The Edinburgh Trader in the final two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, which starred Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.The ship was berthed in Greenock during a tour of several UK ports.

____ I'm not done yet.

If you are really into Pirates, this company that will send you for $5200 per person and $6900 for a veranda room on a luxury pirate hunting cruise and GUARANTEE you will be hijacked. Are they serious? I mean, I'm up for an adventure? But Somali Pirates raping and pillaging?? Not so sure I'd pay for that.

___

Okay that'll do it, matey. But if you want even more, take yer scallawagin' booty here:more about pirates and then drink a pint of rum for me.